Signal for motor-driven vehicles



F. C. DREW SIGNAL FOR MOTOR DRIVEN VEHICLES @cih 9 Filed Jan. 19. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORf @gw )22.15; .Aulasammi,

'ATTORNEYS @mh 9,19% www5 F. C. DREW SIGNAL FOR MOTOR DRIVEN VEHICLES Filed Jan. 19 1923 2 Sheets-Sheei 2 9 y INENO" s ATTORNEYS.

Patented @eto d, i223,

@EGEM )FOB MOTR-DREVEN VEHGLES.

application tiled January la, 1923. Serial No. Matite.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it lmown that l, FnANn C. Draw, a citizen of the United States, residin in the city and county of San Francisco, tate of California, have invented a new and useful Signal for Motor-Driven Vehicles, of which the followingl is a specification.

My invention relates to a novel construction and arrangement of a signaling device, by the use of which a definite direction, either straight ahead,- or to the right or to the left, or to a stop, may be shown by the driver of a motor-driven vehicle to any other driver pf another following motor-driven vehicle or pedestrian.

My invention is an improvement upon an invention which forms the subject-matter of my a plication for patent filed December 2t), 192%@ Serial No. 607,926, and its object is the'l tconstruction of certain improvements in themechanism by which l control the signal hand or indicating device which forms Sti a' partv of the subject-matter of my previous invention and is illustrated in Figure ll of this application.

ln common with the invention of my previous application, a general object of this invention is the provision of novel means to effectuate the control of the signaling device, so that the proper signal shall be shown, and to such ends my invention comprehends certain specihc means for the controlling of the different positions of the signaling device, and also other novel features of construction which will hereinafter more clearly appear in the detailed description of my invent-ion.

For 'the purpose of illustrating my invention, l have in the accompanying drawings illustrated certain forms thereof which are at present preferred by me, since in practice they will give satisfactory and reliable results. llt is to be understood, however, that the various instrumentalities which my invention embo lies may be variously arranged and organized and that my invention is not, therefore, limited to the precise arrangement and organization of these instrumentalities as herein shown and described.

ln the drawings, Figure 1v represents a fragmentary, diagrammatic, side elevation of a motor vehicle embodying my present invention.

Figure 2 represents an elevational view taken in the direction of the arrow 2 on Figure l, of the signal-operating mechanism of my present invention, which is mounted on the steering column.

Figure 3 represents a side elevation of t-he mechanism represented in Figure 2.

Figure 4 represents on an enlarged scale a vertical sectional detail on the line t-t of Figure 2` of the housing mechanism illustrated in Figures 2 and 3.

Figure 5 represents a rear elevation of the button housing and its adjuncts removed from the carrying plate.

Figure 6 represents a sectional plan on the line @-6 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 represents a sectional plan on the line 7--7 of Figure 5.

Figure S re resents a sectional plan on the line 8-8 of igure 5.

Figure 9 represents an elevation of the button plate illustrated in Figures 5 to 8, re-

moved from the button housing.

Figure 10 represents a supporting bracket with respect to which the signal hand is mounted.

Figure ll represents an elevation illustrating the mounting of the signal hand, and in dotted lines its placement in different positions. v

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings. v

1 designates a typical framework or body of a type of motor vehicle,a rear portion 2 of which preferably supports my signal device proper, while a steering column 3 ty ities any usual form of steering shaft.

eferring to Figure 11,-4 designates a signal hand which is the signaling device proper of my present and also of my former invention, and which by being mounted upon a right angularly extending fixed axis 5 central with the palm of the hand, is adapted to be deflected into ditlerent directions as illustrated in full lines and in dotted lines in Figure 1l, to indicate to following vehicles the intended direction of movement or the stop age of the machine which carries my signal 6 designates a casing which supports a connector wheel 7 and from which extends a sleeve 8 through which passes a flexible connector 9 which itself passes through a hollow flexible sheath 10, which, as illustrated in Figure l, is carried forward to the signal-operating mechanism on the lll() ica llt)

steering column, all as explained `in my pending application for patent and therefore requiring no detailed explanation in this application.

It may be observed that the signal hand need not necessarily be .placed at the rear of the vehicle, but may, if desired, extend laterally from the body at a point intermediary of its length, always, however, at such point as to be Visible at the rear of the vehicle.

The construction and mounting of the signal hand 4 as typically illustrated in Figure 11, being essentially the same as in my pending application, a description of it need not be repeated in this application.

My novel control mechanism for operating the signal hand through the interven tion of the flexible connector 9 and sheath 10, is illustrated in outline in Figure 1 and in detail in Figures 2 to 9 inclusive, and is of the following construction Connected with the steering column 3 by any preferred means but conveniently by clamping clips 11, is a carrying plate 12 upon which the button housing 13 is mounted and adapted to be moved up or down so as to impart an end for end movement to the flexible connector 9, and through it operate the connector wheel 7 which in turn operates the signal hand. The button housing 13, like a similar element in my pending application, is the device by means of which the flexible connector 9 is moved, and the housing itself is in the form of a block the detailed construction of which is particularly shown in Figures 4 to 8 inclusive, and which is provided with a thumbpiece 14, by means of which when the housing is released for movement it is adapted to be moved upwardly or downwardly.

It being, as explained,l the intention of my invention to provide means for moving the housing upwardly and downwardly, it

. is as in my former invention, necessary to provide means for automatically locking the housing in its uppermost position and for stopping it at given positions in its downward movement, so that through the flexible connector the signal hand may be placed with relation to its axis 5 in any one of the desired positions indicated in Figure 11.

The locking device which maintains the housing in its luppermost position is that shown in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4, and is preferably of the following construction A latch plate 15 is pivoted on a pivot rod 16 which is transversely mounted in the housing 13 and passes loosely through ears 17, see Figures 4 and 6.

The upper end of this latch plate is bent over to form what I call a latch lip 18, which normally is seated in a transverse recess 19'ormed in or applied to the confronting face of the carrying plate 12, and normally a spring 20, see Figure 4, holds the plate in an upright position with its lip 18 in engagement with the recess 19 in the carrying plate 12.

The lower edge of the latch plate 15 as best shown in Figure 5, overlaps the inner ends of three spring-controlled push buttons, of which 20 is the central, 21 the right hand, and 22 the left hand, button.

Each of these buttons being normally held out by a spring 23, it is obvious that when any one of them is pressed inwardly its spring will be compressed and the latchl plate 15 against which they bear deiected so as to permit of the downward movement of the button housing 13.

A convenient form for in part mounting these push buttons is by means of what call a button plate 24, see Figures 5 and 9, through orifices in which the inner or operating ends of the buttons pass, and which is mounted within the lever housing as shown in Figure 7.

Looking at Figures 5 and 7, it will be noticed that the ends of all three of the push buttons bear against the latch plate 15, so that after the release of the latch lip 18 from its recess 19, by the pushing in of the middle button 20, the pushing in of either of the side buttons 21 or 22 will cause the deflection or twisting about its pivot rod 16 of the latch plate 15.

This deflection is possible because the slots for the rod 16 in the ears 17 are not tight fitting, and the result is that the twisting of plate 15, indicated in dotted lines in Figure 7, will make possible the passage of one of the button ends, that of 21 for instance, over the lstop 25, or that of 22 over the stop 26.

Assuming all of the parts in the normal position represented in Figures 2 to 7 inelusive, and the button housing 13. in its uppermost position, the signal hand will be set ,in the vertical position shown in full lines in Figure 11.

Assume, then, that it is desired to impart to said hand a quarter turn in the right hand direction of Figure 11. the central button 2() will, as explained, first be pushed in to free the latch plate 15 and so permit of the downward movement of the housing 13 which, when the push button 21 is pressed in, will be continued until the end of the push button 21 encounters the stop 25, and the descent of the housing stopped.

When, thereafter, it is desired to give another quarter turn to the hand, the push button 22 will be pressed in to deflect or warp the latch plate to such extent that the button 21 can pass over the stop 25, and the housing 13 will then be pushed down until the button 22 encounters the stop 26, the result of which will be the stoppage of inventa the descent of the housing 13 and the imparting ot' a further quarter turn to the si nal hand.

hen it is desired to elect the last turn of the signal hand, the button 21 will be pushed into warp the latch plate 15 so that the button 22 will clear the button 26 and permit the pushing down of the housing 13 until it makes contact with the stop 27 at the bottom of the carrying plate 12.

rlFhe entire control of the housing is manual and its stoppage at the point necessary to ive the desired position to the signal han is due to the control of the push buttons and their adjuncts as above described.

llaving thus described my invention what ll claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. ln a device of the character described,- a vehicle,a signaling device on said vehicle,-a device under the control of the driver, which comprises a movable housing and push buttons carried by said housing,- stops to be encountered by said push buttons to limit the movement of said housing,-and a exible connection between said housing and said signalin device.

2. ln a device othe character described,- a vehicle,-a signaling device on said vehicle which is adapted to' be moved into different positions,-a device under the control oi. the driver and mounted upon the steering column, which comprises a carrying plate, and a manually-operated housing provided with a plurality of push buttons,- a plurality of, stops within the range of movementof the push buttons, mounted upon the carrying plate, and adapted to control the stoppage of the movement of the housing,- and a dexible connection between said housing and said signaling device.

3. In adevice of the character described, a vehicle,-a signaling device on said vehicle which is adapted to be moved into different positions,--a device under the control of the driver and mounted upon the steering column, which comprises a carrying plate, and a manually-operated housing pro``\ vided with a plurallty lof spring-controlled push buttons,-a plurality of stops within the range of movement of the push buttons, mounted upon the carrying plate, and by the encounter of the push buttons adapted to control the stoppage of the movement of the housing,-and a exible connection between said housing and said signaling device.

a. lin a device of the character described,- a vehicle,-a signaling device on said vehicle which is adapted to be moved into diiferent positions,a device under the control of the driver and mounted upon the steering column, which comprises a carrying plate, and a manually-operated housing provided with a plurality of sprin -controlled push buttons,a pivoted latch l te against which the inner ends of all of t e push buttons bear so that any one of them can move it about its pivot,a plurality of stops within the range of movement of the ush buttons, mounted upon the carryin p ate, and by the encounter of the push uttons adapted to control the stoppage of the movement of the housing,and a flexible connection between saidhousing and said signaling device.. f

5. ln a device of the character described, a mechanism, in combination with the steering column, for operating a signaling devica-which comprises a carrying plate secured to the steering column,a housin manually movable longitudinally on sai carrying plate,-a latch plate pivoted to said housing,springcontrolled push buttons mounted in the housin and operative upon the latch plate to tilt ity into diderent positions,stops upon the carrying plate adapted at the will of the driver to be encountered by push buttons on the carrying plate to limit the movement of the housing, W l

a signaling device and a iiexible connec` tion between said device and said housing.`

ln testimony that ll claim the foregoing as my invent-ion, 1 hereunto sign my name this 12th day of January, A. D. 1923.

FRA C. DREW.

1n the presence of W. S. Maison, J. Snes. 

